The Tangent are a Progressive Rock Band with a strong and long pedigree. Formed in 2002 by Andy Tillison (at that time leader of the largely unknown Parallel Or 90 Degrees) the band has spent the past 15 years involved in the creation of nine studio albums and a couple of live DVD outings. Over the years a pool of musicians have helped the central core on their way, members of King Crimson, the Flower Kings, Gong, Chumbawamba, Porcupine Tree and Soft Machine have contributed and the band has a distinctive and highly varied style.

Covering over 40 different lyrical topics as diverse as The Death of Margaret Thatcher, The Social Networking Explosiion, Treatment of War Veterans, Ageing Bikers, Stockbrokers and their lives, The daily grind of Work, and full-on progressive political commentary, the Tangent have made a name for themselves as an outspoken yet friendly and approachable modern band with a very down to earth attitude to making and performing music.

A million miles from the innaccurate yet commonly held belief that Prog Rock is based on the world of Tolkien-like fantasy, the Tangent make their music in the real world of now. Although their influences can be heard and almost touched, they have resisted becoming a sound-alike band - eschewing any legacy relationship with bands such as Genesis and just as likely to use punk, techno and funk in their music as a Mellotron.

"At the time of 2017" says Andy, "politicians are queuing up to cite themselves as 'Progressive'. That's something I like and can relate to. I have always believed that the name chosen for our genre had more meaning to it than simply a manifesto of 'being more complex and clever than other rock music'. To me - true Progressive Rock is more about exploring ideas, both lyrical and musical, than simply being clever. But I also like trying to be clever - even if that means failing."

Jazz Fusion plays a larger role in the band's sound than many other bands in the genre - "The second wave of Prog bands in the 80s seemed to forget the Jazz element that had been so manifest in the original bands of the 70s - in their haste to get onto the big bass pedal and Mellotron chords. Thats was something we wanted to counterbalance when we made the blueprints for this band. We're as much influenced by Return to Forever and Weather Report as we are by Pink Floyd and Yes. And of course we have an openly declared love of the Canterbury fusion bands like the Hatfields and Egg"

This Year The Tangent release their ninth studio album "The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery" One of their most challenging albums yet, 80 minutes of dense, complex socially aware music. Set against a backdrop of growing right wing influence on the world of political mainstream, the album asks some highly pertinent questions and expects some pretty hostile answers. That's the nature of the beast these days.

"Ha ha!" Tillison laughs - "people say I'll never get recognition while I do all this political stuff. But I think my choice of genre put paid to any future commercial success back in the 80s. If that was what I was after I'd have been a long way from this area by now!"

If you're looking for true Progressive Rock music that is in tune with today's other musics and political ideaologies as opposed to another band who sound like Genesis or Pink Floyd, you came to the right place. Welcome to the website. Welcome to The Tangent. We do things differently here.